'Ma and Pop' remain fixtures at Vietnam veterans vigils

AMANDA REAVY

Monday

May 30, 2011 at 12:01 AMMay 30, 2011 at 8:10 PM

Though they do not live in Springfield, Annette and John Hensley of Decatur are well known among local Vietnam veterans groups. “Ma and Pop” are a fixture at every vigil and memorial service at the Illinois Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Oak Ridge Cemetery.

Though they do not live in Springfield, Annette and John Hensley of Decatur are well known among local Vietnam veterans groups.

Affectionately dubbed “Ma and Pop,” the Henleys are a fixture at every vigil and memorial service at the Illinois Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Oak Ridge Cemetery.

Annette jokes that most people probably don’t know the couple’s actual names.

The only vigil they have missed in 23 years was in 2009, when John was sick.

John, 82, and Annette, 80, say they might be the only set of parents of Vietnam veterans who are still active and attend.

Their son, Jim, was a paratrooper in Vietnam. He died at age 19 in 1969. Their other son, John, was preparing to deploy to Vietnam, but was then sent to be a drill sergeant stateside.

“The other Gold Star parents are too old to do anything. We’re getting the young Iraq mothers that will carry on,” Annette said. She said she was only 38 when her youngest son died, and she’s been involved with veterans groups even since.

The couple has befriended many other veterans. Annette guesses this is how the couple earned their nicknames.

“We enjoy working with them,” she said. “Some of them will talk about it (their experience in Vietnam), and that helps, and some of them won’t. But we’re here if they need us.

“We wouldn’t have the freedom to do and say the things we do if it wasn’t for those boys, so I think every one of them should be honored.”

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